After Arsenal’s boss brushed aside his failure to win at Middlesbrough for the fourth successive season, he blasted the wobbling Reds.

And Wenger sees no reason why his young Gunners can’t add Liverpool to this season’s list of big-name scalps. Asked if the Anfield club are a cut above Chelsea and Manchester United this season he said: “No, not really.

“There’s no big difference between Liverpool and the other two clubs. They’re far away from us in the table but not far away from the other two. I think we can beat Liverpool.”

Wenger has already guided Arsenal to victory against both Chelsea and United this season.

And his confidence was echoed by vengeful striker Emmanuel Adebayor despite another tame display on Teesside.

The Togo hit-man shrugged off the loss of two vital league points against Middlesbrough and said: “Last season Liverpool broke our dreams.

“They went through to the semi-finals of the Champions League at our expense and then got knocked out. We could have gone on. Is there unfinished business? Sure.

“This season we just want to try to keep our dreams alive. It will be a big test against Liver-pool but it’s vital that we keep positive.

“If we can get everyone working together then we have a great chance to beat them.

“We know how big Sunday is for the club and we are ready for it.

“Everybody, all week, will be talking about this game. It’s massive and we’re up for it. The big games bring out the best in us. Big games, big players, a great atmosphere – everything contributes to those occasions.

“I love the big games and everyone dreams about these matches.”

But Boro is never a big game for Arsenal. It never will be.

And the fact that Adebayor and his pals can’t seem to get up for the matches which represent the meat and drink of any league season is becoming a serious problem.

Indeed, returning to the Riverside Stadium is becoming the stuff of nightmares, not dreams.

Wenger has not won at Middlesbrough since April 2005 and two points from a possible 12 on Teesside is simply shocking.

Picking up maximum points against Chelsea and United might fill the Gunners with pride.

But scraping draws against the league’s lesser lights should fill Wenger with dread.

And according to former Gunner Jeremie Aliadiere his old team has become far too predictable.

“Arsenal will always play in the same style and play the same type of football and perhaps that’s why we do so well against them,” said the Frenchman.

“We know if you close them really early in the middle of the park then you have a chance.

“If you let someone like Cesc Fabregas play then he will keep finding Adebayor and the others.

“But if you close them down really early, they don’t like it. You can’t let them play. We didn’t.”

Aliadiere’s bullet header in the 29th min-ute drew Boro level after Ade-bayor had been given the freedom of Ross Turnbull’s penalty area to break the deadlock.

And from that point on it appeared Arsenal’s players were already looking forward to a glamour clash with Liverpool – and looking to escape Teesside with a point.

Where Didier Digard and Julio Arca set the stifling tone in the middle of the park, Frabregas and Alex-andre Song went AWOL.

And although both teams had chances to kill the game after the break, Manuel Almunia saving smartly from Stewart Downing and Turnbull denying sub Nicklas Bendtner, neither did enough to win.

And Aliadiere couldn’t resist taking a swipe at his former club’s title credentials when he added: “You would say that Chelsea are stronger than Arsenal.”